Playbooks
At a Glance
Overview
The Full House TE set in the Pistol formation is a heavy 22 personnel look that stacks the backfield. The QB sits in a short pistol alignment with the HB directly behind him, a FB offset to one side, and a TE lined up in the backfield on the opposite side. That leaves an inline TE on the line and a single split receiver, the X, isolated outside. Other Pistol sets spread the field with 11 or 12 personnel. This one packs eight potential blockers near the box and gives the defense a symmetrical three back picture that hides run direction until the snap.
The Gadget tag fits because this set mixes downhill gap schemes with deception. Mtn Power O and Mtn 0 1 Trap use pulling linemen and kick out blocks from the backfield TE. Counter Lead and HB Dive hit fast between the tackles. Read Option adds a QB keep threat that most players never expect from a full house alignment. Every run look is mirrored by a play action shot: Mtn PA Power Cross, PA Se Cross, and PA TE Corner leak the backfield TE and inline TE into space after a hard run fake. PA Comeback and X Slant attack the lone receiver.
The main matchup advantage is forced personnel. Opponents usually answer 22 with Goal Line, Big Nickel, or a 4-4 look. That puts linebackers and strong safeties on your leaking TEs in man coverage, or collapses zone defenders downhill on play action. It also leaves your X receiver alone on an island against a single corner, often without safety help, because the defense has committed its safeties to the box to stop the run.
Strengths
- Elite play action conflict: Mtn PA Power Cross and PA Se Cross share the same backfield action as Mtn Power O, so safeties and hook defenders trigger on the fake and vacate the intermediate crossing lanes against Cover 3 and Cover 1.
- PA TE Corner is a strong man beater against Goal Line and 4-4 looks, where a linebacker or strong safety has to carry the backfield TE to the pylon without inside leverage.
- The isolated X receiver gets true one on one coverage when the defense loads the box, making X Slant and PA Comeback reliable quick answers to Cover 0 and Cover 1 press.
- Mtn 0 1 Trap and Counter Lead punish aggressive defensive tackles and linebackers who flow hard to the strength shown by the FB, giving you cutback lanes against over shifted fronts.
- Read Option out of a full house freezes the backside defensive end and adds a numbers advantage in the box, which is especially effective against users who shade their linebacker toward the HB pre snap.
Weaknesses
- With only one true receiver and two TEs, the set lacks route spacing against Cover 2 Man and Cover 4 Palms, which can smother the few available passing options and force coverage sacks.
- A user controlled middle linebacker or robber safety sitting in the crossing lane can erase Mtn PA Power Cross and PA Se Cross, since both rely on the same intermediate window.
- Play action rollouts take time, so edge nano blitzes and overload pressure off the boundary can reach the QB before the fake finishes, especially when the backfield TE leaks instead of chipping.
- The formation screams run to anyone reading personnel, and defenses that sub into Goal Line with run commit or pinch the defensive line can stack the gaps for Mtn Power O and HB Dive.
- The backfield TE and FB are usually slow route runners, so fast linebackers in Cover 1 can trail the TE Corner route, and any deep shot depends on winning with a single WR.
Usage Tips
Run it heavily on 1st and 10, 3rd and short, and in the red zone, then call Mtn PA Power Cross or PA TE Corner once the defense sells out with Goal Line or run commit adjustments.
Read the safeties pre snap: if both creep into the box, check to X Slant or PA Comeback to attack the lone corner. If a safety stays deep over the X, stay with the run or go to PA TE Corner to the opposite side.
If you see an edge nano blitz, hot route the backfield TE or FB to a block so play action rollouts keep a clean pocket, and let the inline TE handle the lone route over the middle.
Use Mtn 0 1 Trap and Counter Lead after establishing Mtn Power O to one side. Defenders who start cheating toward the FB offset will overrun the play.
Call Read Option against defenses that crash the backside end on every down, and flip the play pre snap to aim the read at the weaker edge defender.
Plays (10)
Counter LeadCounter, Run Play, Power Run
HB DiveDive, Run Play
Mtn 0 1 TrapTrap, Motion, Run Play +1
Mtn PA Power CrossPlay Action, Motion, Pass Play +1
Mtn Power OPower, Motion, Run Play +1
PA ComebackPlay Action, Comeback, Pass Play +2- PA Se CrossPlay Action, Crosser, Pass Play +4
PA TE CornerPlay Action, Corner, Pass Play +2
Read OptionRead Option, Run Play
X SlantSlant, Pass Play, Stick +1
